Texas Congressional Delegation at work

On June 5, President Barack Obama signed the Border Tunnel Prevention Act of 2012, a proposal sponsored by Reyes that criminalizes the creation or financing of a tunnel from Mexico to the United States that could be used for the purposes of smuggling, trafficking or illegal immigration.

Rep. Silvestre Reyes (Official photo)

The law also criminalizes the “recklessly permitting the construction of an tunnel or subterranean passage on a person’s land.”

Reyes, 67, a prominent member of the House of Representatives who has served eight terms in Congress, was defeated in the Texas primary by former El Paso city council member Beto O’Rourke.

In the 21 years between 1990 to 2011 149 tunnels were discovered running from the U.S. to Mexico, many originating in the states of California and Arizona. Criminalizing the building and financing of tunnels should restrict access of drug smugglers, human traffickers and illegal immigrants to the United States, Reyes and Obama believe.